Details of the Israeli concessions that ended an historic 28-day mass hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and the more than two-month hunger strikes of several prisoners, emerged today.

Palestinian prisoners’ rights group Addameer published the details on the basis of accounts given to its lawyers by Ahed Abu Gholme, a member of the prisoners’ committee that negotiated the deal, and by imprisoned PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat.

The key provisions of the deal, which Addameer hailed as “achievements of the prisoners’ movement” are as follows:

According to Ahed Abu Gholmeh, the nine members of the hunger strike committee met yesterday with a committee consisting of IPS [Israel Prison Service] officials and Israeli intelligence officers and determined the stipulations of their agreement.

The written agreement contained five main provisions:

• the prisoners would end their hunger strike following the signing of the agreement;
• There will be an end to the use of long-term isolation of prisoners for “security” reasons, and the 19 prisoners will be moved out of isolation within 72 hours;
• Family visits for first degree relatives to prisoners from the Gaza Strip and for families from the West Bank who have been denied visit based on vague “security reasons” will be reinstated within one month;
• The Israeli intelligence agency guarantees that there will be a committee formed to facilitate meetings between the IPS and prisoners in order to improve their daily conditions;
• There will be no new administrative detention orders or renewals of administrative detention orders for the 308 Palestinians currently in administrative detention, unless the secret files, upon which administrative detention is based, contains “very serious” information.

Some long-term hunger strikers to be released after current detention orders expire but questions remain about others

Addameer’s latest release stated:

For the five administrative detainees on protracted hunger strikes, including Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh, who engaged in hunger strike for a miraculous 77 days, their administrative detention orders will not be renewed and they will be released upon the expiration of their current orders. These five have been transferred to public hospitals to receive adequate healthcare during their fragile recovery periods.

Earlier in the day, Addameer had posted a note on Facebook about long-term hunger strikers naming eight including Halahleh and Diab, which means additional information is still needed about the status of some long-term hunger strikers:

Administrative detainees Hassan Safadi, on hunger strike for 71 days, Omar Abu Shalal, on hunger strike for 69 days, and Jaafar Azzedine, on hunger strike for 54 days, also ended their hunger strikes and will be released upon expiration of their current orders. Addameer awaits news on the current status of Mahmoud Sarsak, Mohammad Taj and Kifah Hattab.

Sarsak is a member of the Palestinian national football team kidnapped by Israeli forces in 2009 and held without charge or trial ever since.

Yesterday, EI blogger Linah Alsaafin who broke news of Thaer Halahleh’s release, spoke to his father. The conversation, which she wrote about, raised additional concerns about coercive measures used against prisoners.

Will administrative detention end?

Addameer also warned:

In regards to Israel’s practice of administrative detention as a whole, Ahmad Sa’adat further noted that the agreement includes limitations to its widespread use in general. Addameer is concerned that these provisions of the agreement will not explicitly solve Israel’s lenient and problematic application of administrative detention, which as it stands is in stark violation of international law.

Addameer also noted that Israel has a history of not honoring agreements with respect to prisoners.

Full Addameer statement

Progress for Prisoners’ Movement: Palestinian Prisoners’ Mass Hunger Strike Concludes After Agreement is Reached

Ramallah, 15 May 2012 - After nearly a full month of fasting, around 2,000 Palestinian political prisoners ended last night their mass hunger strike upon reaching an agreement with the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) to attain certain core demands. Addameer lauds these achievements of the prisoners’ movement and can only hope that Israel will implement any policy changes in good faith.

Addameer especially commends those individuals who engaged in open hunger strike for over two months, displaying remarkable steadfastness in the struggle for their most basic rights. The demands raised in the collective hunger strike, which was launched on 17 April, included an end to the IPS’ abusive use of isolation for “security” reasons, which currently affects 19 prisoners, some of whom have spent 10 years in isolation, and a repeal of a series of punitive measures taken against Palestinian prisoners following the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, including the denial of family visits for all Gaza prisoners since 2007 and denial of access to university education since June 2011. Prisoners also called for an end to Israel’s practice of detaining Palestinians without charge or trial in administrative detention. Eight prisoners, including five administrative detainees, had already begun their hunger strikes as early as the end of February.

The details of the agreement signed last night by the prisoners’ committee representing the hunger strikers was recounted today to Addameer lawyer Fares Ziad in his visit to Ahed Abu Gholmeh, who is a member of the committee, and to Addameer lawyer Mahmoud Hassan during his visit to Ahmad Sa’adat in Ramleh prison medical clinic, who conveyed what he was told last night when members of the committee came to Ramleh to announce the end of the hunger strike.

According to Ahed Abu Gholmeh, the nine members of the hunger strike committee met yesterday with a committee consisting of IPS officials and Israeli intelligence officers and determined the stipulations of their agreement. The written agreement contained five main provisions: the prisoners would end their hunger strike following the signing of the agreement; there will be an end to the use of long-term isolation of prisoners for “security” reasons, and the 19 prisoners will be moved out of isolation within 72 hours; family visits for first degree relatives to prisoners from the Gaza Strip and for families from the West Bank who have been denied visit based on vague “security reasons” will be reinstated within one month; the Israeli intelligence agency guarantees that there will be a committee formed to facilitate meetings between the IPS and prisoners in order to improve their daily conditions; there will be no new administrative detention orders or renewals of administrative detention orders for the 308 Palestinians currently in administrative detention, unless the secret files, upon which administrative detention is based, contains “very serious” information.

For the five administrative detainees on protracted hunger strikes, including Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh, who engaged in hunger strike for a miraculous 77 days, their administrative detention orders will not be renewed and they will be released upon the expiration of their current orders. These five have been transferred to public hospitals to receive adequate healthcare during their fragile recovery periods. In regards to Israel’s practice of administrative detention as a whole, Ahmad Sa’adat further noted that the agreement includes limitations to its widespread use in general. Addameer is concerned that these provisions of the agreement will not explicitly solve Israel’s lenient and problematic application of administrative detention, which as it stands is in stark violation of international law.

Addameer has observed that Israel has consistently failed to respect the agreements it executes with Palestinians regarding prisoners’ issues. For this reason, it will be essential for all supporters of Palestinian political prisoners to actively monitor the events of the next few months to ensure that this agreement is fully implemented. As a human rights organization committed to the international standards of the rights of prisoners, Addameer will also continue to monitor closely the conditions inside Israeli prisons in order to assure that conditions meet compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.

On the day commemorating 64 years since the Palestinian Nakba, it is regrettable that it has taken the near-starvation of Palestinian political prisoners en masse to call attention to their plight; it is therefore imperative to take this opportunity to not only applaud their achievements but also to push forward lobbying efforts on their behalf and demand a just and permanent resolution for their cause. Addameer extends its utmost gratitude to the dedicated activists and institutions, including members of civil society and the diplomatic community, who have supported the Palestinian prisoners in their campaign for dignity.

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Comments

political prisoner Dr. Youssef Abdul Haq

Permalink dr. abraham Weizfeld replied on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 22:52

I am looking forward in particular to the release of Prof. Youssef Abdul Haq of An-Najah National University and a coordinator of the Tanweer Palestinian Cultural Enlightenment Forum in Nablus.

RE: Dr. Yousef Abdul Haq

Permalink Renee Nassif replied on Fri, 06/22/2012 - 18:13

Dear Dr. Weizfeld:

Thank God, My prayers may have been answered. I discovered your lovely comment and email, regarding the hopeful release of Dr. Youself Abdul Haq, who has been a political prisoner in Olef prison for nearly one year. I have admired your courage and dedication to the Palestinian cause for many years, and share your views regarding their freedom and human rights.

For five years, my sister and I (who reside in the US) have been corresponding with Dr. Youself Abdul Haq, and are familiar with his work, particularly with Tanwer. When we learned that he had been arrested last year, we have been frantically searching for any information regarding his status, his health, and his impending freedom. When I read your comment, I immediately began to hope that you may have word concerning Dr. Haq. If so, please respond to this email, as we are desperate to know how he is, and what is happening to him. If there is any way that we are able to write to him, please let us know.

Thank you, again, Dr. Weizfeld, for your good works, and for taking the time to read my request. I am happy to have read your kind reply to this website regarding, not only Dr. Haq's release, but for the freedom of all administrative detainees, and those who do not deserve such unjust imprisonment.

Peace and Justice, Renee Nassif

Free all these prisoners now.

Permalink Abe Hayeem replied on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 18:50

As mentioned, one cannot trust that Israel will honour these agreements -many of the prisoners released under the 'Gilad Shalit deal' were re-arrested. Pressure should be applied without relenting, for the immediate release of all prisoners under administrative detention, or else charged. Where there is already no concrete evidence, but only arbitrary arrest, they should be unconditionally released. Ahmad Sadaat, Marwan Barghouti, and all political prisoners should be released as an added condition before any 'peace negotiations' are resumed. The whole plight of prisoners (including scandalous imprisonment of children) under the Israeli regime should be put under the international spotlight where-ever possible.